Fig. 5: Practical application feasibility demonstration of the i-Cool functional structure via i-Cool (Ag) textile. | Nature Communications

Fig. 5: Practical application feasibility demonstration of the i-Cool functional structure via i-Cool (Ag) textile.

From: Integrated cooling (i-Cool) textile of heat conduction and sweat transportation for personal perspiration management

Fig. 5

a, Illustration of the fabrication process of i-Cool (Ag) textile based on a commercially available fabric. b, Photograph of as-fabricated i-Cool (Ag) textile based on Dri-FIT as the substrate. Scale bar, 1 cm. c, SEM image showing the uniform and conformal Ag coating on the PET fibers of the fabric substrate. Scale bar, 50 µm. The inset shows the photograph of i-Cool (Ag) viewing from its bottom. Scale bar, 4 mm. d, Measured water mass gain ratio of i-Cool (Ag) and other textiles at different evaporation rate in the steady-state evaporation test. Omega symbol, Statistical significance between the i-Cool (Ag) and i-Cool (Cu), Welch’s t-test p < 0.1 at 0.3 mL/h and 0.5 mL/h, no statistical significance for others. Phi symbol, Statistical significance between the i-Cool (Ag) and cotton, Welch’s test p < 0.05 at 0.3 mL/h, p < 0.001 for others. Sigma symbol, Statistical significance between the i-Cool (Ag) and Dri-FIT, Welch’s test shows no statistical significance at 0.5 mL/h, p < 0.05 at 0.7 mL/h, 1.1 mL/h, p < 0.01 for others. e, Measured power density of i-Cool (Ag) and other textiles at different evaporation rate in the steady-state evaporation test. Omega symbol, Statistical significance between the i-Cool (Ag) and i-Cool (Cu), Welch’s t-test p < 0.01 at 0 mL/h, 1.1 mL/h, p < 0.05 at 0.7 mL/h, no statistical significance for others. Phi symbol, Statistical significance between the i-Cool (Ag) and cotton, Welch’s test p < 0.001 at 0.7 mL/h and 0.9 mL/h, p < 0.01 for others. Sigma symbol, Statistical significance between the i-Cool (Ag) and Dri-FIT, Welch’s test p < 0.05 at 0.5 mL/h, p < 0.01 at 0.3 mL/h and 0.7 mL/h, p < 0.001 for others. f, Measured skin temperature and sweating rate of the i-Cool (Ag) textile on the artificial sweating skin platform with feedback control loop. Asterisk, Statistical significance of skin temperature and sweating rate between the i-Cool (Ag) and other textiles, Welch’s t-test p < 0.001. All the error bars represent standard deviation of measured data.

Back to article page